Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-05-27
Why Don't Christians 15elp?H

Why Don't Christians 1Selp?"
The words We're intense with plead.
ing l shall never forget how all else
paled into insignifcance before that
cry OF soul just on the border. Of the
heavenly land. The pleading OF sis
ter, beloved. She thought a great pit
lay in the paths, and they were con-
stantly falling in. The green grass
grew to its edge, the flowers dropped
over. 1t had no barriers, or lights of
warning. There" she would call, "the
dearest friend had slipped in, and you
never tried to stop him. And boy
went over, and you never told him
there was a pit there. Can't you save
that girl?" she cried. Oh! the world
goes by, the great thoughtless world,
and it joistles people in. Where are the
Christians? Where are the Christians?
Why don't the Christians help?"
of l could live" she said in calmer
tones, "if | could live, 1 would spend
every day of my life keeping people put
Of that pit. would build a wall so
high no little child could climb over,
or ] would cover it so deep that none
could fall in Then looking at me with
eyes luminous with the light of the
world beyond, she clasped my hands
and said: "sister, sister, won't you try
and keep people out of that pit?"
1t has come to me far over the years,
and a power cannot resist, impels the
sending out of her warning cry, with
the hope that some one may BE saved
from the pit by the friendly hand Of
the one who reads it. Brothers, sisters,
we know the pit is there, right in the
way of life, what are we going to do
about itp
Is 1t a pit grassed over, hower-deek-
ed? Do birds sing in ths arch-ways,
and beautiful visions tempt beyond !?
The pools that offended the sight are
bridged over. The great pit is made
respectable by law. 1t is the high
license saloon. Christians have you ut
tered no warning cry? Where are the
danger signals? Must the young men,
the pride Of our lives, go unwarned?
Will it be less death Of manhood if
buried beneath the costly Moloch3 Will
the home be less Swallowed because the
tax that made the saloon lawful, swell.
ed the states resources?
But the danger lies not only here
Look, opening on every side, quick.
sands of impurityl Nay, we see not
we cannot believe there are pits there
Yet who that reaches them, comes uI
to the same? Perhaps the steps were
Impure pictures and stories, hidden
books, idle conversation, foolish com.
lpany. sinful amusements. They were
snch little steps, just down plane out.
side of mothers or fathers care, where
the Sunday school did not reach, and
away from theteachers guidance. Such
little devlations from the right way
But the boy event over, and you never
told him there was d pit there" and
you never tried to 'save the girl"
What can be done to make safe paths
for our children ?-ls the great question
of to-day. TIE friends OF education are
building wall Of nowledge so high
that little child will not climb over
to the pit Of ignorance. Warning lights
are burning all along the way that
science treads. Are the Christians as
aroused to see that the Sunday-schools
and the churches stand shoulder tC
| shoulder with the teachers on this
Iquestlon?
In some states the people are to de-
eide whether or not their boundaries
shall be freed from the curse of the
saloon, the distlllery and the brewery
| You must appeal to God who is mighty
to the pulling down of strongholds. liz
can storm and carry any heart. Any
one can be freed from the evil by the
grace of God. The church should be
thoroughly alive to temperance work
for she has the cleansing virtue. She
should be more earnest in applying the
remedy. She should bring the drinkers
| to their fountain. Finding them among
the tombs, she should bring them te
the feet of Jesus. He will clothe then
and put them to their right mlnd.-Rev
T. M, Foster.
The Tennessee Medical Society in it,
recent convention declared for prohibi
ton.
The great contest of to-day is the sa
loon against the home, the school, tn
church. Which side are 'you' on?
i Let it be forever borne in mind tina
prohibition is not after our property
our personal liberty, our individual
| rights. The saloon is the ''mob", il
the "connagration''. is the 'contagioR''
To repress the saloon, stop the saloon
stamp out the saloon, is the one sole
i object of nrOhibitiOn,-ReV. Herricl